Justice News

Trustee Pleads Guilty In Federal Court To Tax Evasion

Agrees to Pay More Than $200,000 in Restitution

LUBBOCK, Texas — Randy Lynn White appeared in federal court in Lubbock, Texas, today, before U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings, and pleaded guilty to an Information charging one count of tax evasion, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. According to the terms of the plea agreement filed in the case, White agrees to pay the amount of the tax loss, $211,165, in restitution. He will remain on personal recognizance bond; a sentencing date was not set.

According to the factual resume filed in the case, White admits that he intentionally and willfully did not file required tax returns for 2007, 2008 and 2009 in order to evade the payment of taxes due and owing to the U.S. White agrees that as a result of this criminal conduct, the tax loss to the U.S. for those years is $211,165.

White, according to the factual resume, was the sole trustee of the Frank F. McMordie Jr Family Trust, f/b/o Frank F. McMordie III (the “Trust”). According to the factual resume, White admits that he derived substantial benefits and income from the Trust, both in administration fees from the Trust paid to him, and in monies he took from the Trust for his personal use. White had absolute control over the Trust’s assets, which consisted primarily of a large ranch in the Texas Panhandle that produced mineral interests. White paid himself excessive administrative fees and spent most of the Trust’s remaining money on extravagant personal expenditures, such as making his personal house payments, and buying motorcycles, diamond and gold jewelry and cars.

The factual resume goes on to state that White attempted to conceal his extravagant expenditures by paying a relatively small amount of the Trust’s income to the Trust’s beneficiary, Frank F. McMordie III, who resided in Mexico. White also admits that as part of his scheme to evade taxes, he disguised many of the funds that he diverted from the Trust’s bank account to his personal use by placing false business notations on the checks, falsely claiming that the expenditures were for business purposes. These checks falsely indicated that he was using the funds to operate what he designated as the “south” ranch. He falsely indicated that he was using the money for ranch operating expenses, such as cattle vaccines, loading chutes, cattle guards, trailers for the south ranch, fencing, and south ranch payroll, when, in fact, the Trust did not operate any ranch whatsoever.

The case is being investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulina Jacobo is in charge of the prosecution.